Each of them born in Pennsylvania almost 50 years ago, couldn’t have been less similar in their career arcs.
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A 62nd round draft pick in 1988, Piazza becomes the lowest draft pick to enter the Hall of Fame.
Piazza even highlighted the differences in his induction speech, saying that “about the only thing [the two] had in common as ballplayers was two arms and two legs”.
As we found out in January, Griffey was named on 437 of the 440 BBWAA ballots, meaning his 99.32 percent figure set a record, breaking Tom Seaver’s 98.84 percent, a mark that had stood since 1992. Griffey is one of just six players ever to hit at least 630 home runs in his career, along with Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, Alex Rodriguez and Willie Mays. Addressing a crowd packed with former teammates as well as Mariners team personnel from his 13 years with the ballclub, he broke down nearly immediately as he began to reflect on what his Seattle days meant to him. He hinted at that view of him as one of two major misconceptions he mentioned in his speech. How to work hard, how to look at yourself in the mirror every single day, and not to worry about what other people are doing. Looking at the list, Barry Larkin was probably the first player inducted whose career I completely remember following.
Griffey’s mom, Birdie, and his father, former Cincinnati Reds star Ken Sr., both cancer survivors and integral to his rise to stardom, were front and center in the first row. Two of the most prolific players of the 1990s and early 2000s – Mike Piazza and Ken Griffey Jr. – made their way into the Hall on a sweltering afternoon in upstate NY, but it was Griffey who showcased some style choices that turned plenty of heads.
In his speech, Piazza said, “It truly was an honor and privilege to be drafted, signed and developed by the Los Angeles Dodgers”.
“He taught me how to play this game”, said Griffey Jr. One such time was when the subject of September 11 came up. “Now it’s time to smell the roses”. “But from tragedy and sorrow came bravery, love, compassion, character and eventual healing”.
But his most famous homer was the game-winning one he belted in the first NY sports event after the 2001 terrorist attacks. I was joking with Ken a little bit before we went up on stage.
He also played for the Marlins before landing with the Mets, the team he is best known for having played for.
And then it all clicked nearly suddenly for Piazza, hitting 52 home runs in the minors before getting called up by the Dodgers in September 1992.
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A 13-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove Award victor in center field, Griffey hit 630 home runs, sixth all-time, and drove in 1,836 runs. Piazza’s two-run homer in the eighth inning at Shea Stadium lifted the Mets to a 3-2 victory over the Braves in the first sporting event played in NY after the terrorist attacks.
